Self-sealing roof fastener

ABSTRACT

A self-sealing fastener for installation of roofing materials for creating a substantially watertight seal around fastener penetrations where roofing materials or panels are affixed to an underlying roof deck by the fasteners. Also disclosed is a method for installing the self-sealing fastener for attachment of roofing materials to an underlying roof deck with the penetrations areas or holes created by the fasteners being substantially sealed against water penetration.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

Priority is hereby claimed to the filing date of U.S. Provisional patentapplication 62/907,996 filed on Sep. 30, 2019, the entire content ofwhich is hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to fasteners for installationof roofing panels and/or other roofing materials, and more specifically,to self-sealing fasteners that release a sealing material to seal thepenetration areas about the fasteners against penetration of moisture.

BACKGROUND

The construction of roofs generally requires fasteners to be driventhrough roofing materials, including roofing panels, roof membranes orliners and into a supporting decking. Installation of such fastenersconsequently creates penetrations through the roofing materials at thelocations where the fasteners are driven therethrough. Most roofingmembranes or liners will resist water penetration except at the holes orpenetration sites created by the fasteners, which holes enable water tomigrate through the roofing materials and can pool and collect beneaththe roof panels and decking. Such pooling or collection of water in turncan cause mildew, warping and rotting of the roof deck. Coatings orother, similar adhesive materials, such as petroleum tar, have been usedin the past to coat and seal the roofing materials at such holes orpenetrations. However, application of such sealing materials generallyrequires additional labor with such sealing materials generally beingapplied manually, which can also lead to inconsistent application of thesealing materials and/or excess or waste of the materials duringapplication.

Accordingly, it can be seen that a need exists for a self-sealingfastener for installation of roofing materials that addresses theforegoing and other related and unrelated problems in the art.

SUMMARY

A self-sealing roofing fastener design is provided. The self-sealingroofing fastener, in one embodiment, includes a fastener plate having afastener, such as a screw, nail or other, similar fastener. The fastenerplate will include a fastener cap defining an opening through which thefastener can be received, and a sealant material. The sealant materialcan be contained within a pocket or encapsulate structure that can bemounted below the fastener cap. For example, the sealant encapsulatestructure generally will be located between a roofing panel or roofmembrane or liner and the fastener cap. The sealant encapsulatestructure can be of various different sizes and/or configurations, and,in some embodiments, can be positioned or selectively located andinstalled beneath the fastener cap separately from the fastener cap.

As the fastener is engaged and driven through the opening of thefastener cap, it will pierce the pocket or the sealant encapsulatestructure, releasing the sealant material. The sealant materialgenerally will spread and/or flow within the space beneath the fastenercap, including flowing into the hole or penetration opening created bythe fastener as it penetrates through the roofing panel or roof membraneor liner and into the roof deck.

In one embodiment, the sealant material can include an adhesive orother, similar sealing material in the form of a liquid or gel that willeasily spread or flow when released, and will be substantiallyfast-curing. In other embodiments, the sealant material can includemultiple sealing materials such as, for example, a cross-linking sealantsystem having a reactive component material and a catalyst componentmaterial that react when mixed to create a substantially water-tightseal about the fastener and penetration opening or hole.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, an agitation or stirringmechanism, or other, similar device configured to engage and facilitatethe spreading of the sealant material also can be provided. Theagitation mechanism generally will be arranged below the fastener cap ina position to be engaged by the fastener and urged into contact with thesealant material to help spread or urge the sealant material within thespace under the fastener cap and into the penetration opening. Inaddition, spacers also can be provided to support the sealantencapsulate structure in a position spaced above the roofing deck.

The foregoing and various other features, aspects and advantages of thepresent disclosure will be further understood upon a review thefollowing detailed description, when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration,elements illustrated in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.For example, the dimensions of some elements may be exaggerated relativeto other elements. As those skilled in the art also will appreciate andunderstand, the dimensions of various features and elements of thedrawings may be expanded and/or reduced to more clearly illustrate theembodiments of the present disclosure as described herein. Accordingly,embodiments incorporating the teachings of the present disclosure areshown and described below with respect to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the embodiment of a self-sealingroofing fastener design that embodies and exemplifies the principles ofthe present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the self-sealing fastener design ofFIG. 1 showing the engagement of the fastener and release of the sealantencapsulate material.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of an additional embodiment of aself-sealing fastener design that embodies and exemplifies theprinciples of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view illustrating still a furtherembodiment of a self-sealing roofing fastener design that embodies andexemplifies the principles of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description taken in combination with the accompanyingdrawing figures is provided to assist in the understanding of theteachings disclosed herein. The description is focused onimplementations and embodiments of the present disclosure, and isprovided to assist in describing such teachings. The focus should not beinterpreted as a limitation on the scope or applicability of the presentdisclosure.

Referring now to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like partsthroughout the several views, FIGS. 1-4 illustrate embodiments of aself-sealing roof fastener 10 for the installation of roofing panels orother roofing materials onto a supporting roof decking 11. As furtherillustrated in FIGS. 1-4, a roof panel 12 generally will be applied overan upper surface of the roof deck 11. The roof panel 12 can comprisevarious types of roofing materials, including a substantially watertightroof membrane or liner. In addition, the self-sealing fastener can beused with various other roofing materials and/or roofing accessories,such as solar panels, repair patches, flashing materials, etc. As afurther alternative, an additional watertight roof membrane or lineralso can be applied between the roof panel 12 and the upper surface ofthe roof deck 11.

The self-sealing roof fastener 10 can be located on top of the roofpanel 12, with a series of self-sealing roof fasteners generally beingarranged at spaced locations along each roof panel. As generallyillustrated in FIG. 1, the self-sealing roof fastener 10, in oneembodiment, will include a fastener plate 15 having a fastener 16, suchas a screw, nail or other, similar fastener. The fastener plate 15further will include a fastener cap or body 17 that can have a centralportion 18 defining an opening 19 through which the fastener 16 isreceived, and also can include and outwardly flaring peripheral portion21. The fastener cap further can be formed from variousweather-resistant materials, including various metals and/or plastic,synthetic or composite materials.

A sealant material 25 will be enclosed or encapsulated within a pocket,packet or other encapsulate structure 26 that is mounted below thefastener cap. Typically, the sealant encapsulate structure or pocketwill be located below a lower surface of the fastener cap, for example,being arranged between an upper surface of the roof panel 12 and thelower surface of the fastener cap, such as generally illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 3. The sealant encapsulate structure or pocket can include athin film material that will be easily punctured, but has sufficientstrength to maintain the sealant material therein and protect it fromexposure to the surrounding environment until punctured by the fastener16. The sealant encapsulate structure or pocket can be formed fromvarious materials, including various plastics such as polypropylene(PP), polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), etc. and/or ametallized plastic materials. Other protective materials adapted toprotect the sealant material from expense, while being easily piercedand separable by engagement of the fastener therewith also can be used.

The sealant material contained within the sealant encapsulate generallycan include an adhesive or other known roofing sealant material thatwill be provided in a liquid or gel form within the sealant encapsulate.The sealant material further generally can include a fast-drying orfast-curing adhesive or sealant that, upon initially being released fromthe encapsulate, can flow or spread as needed to substantially cover andseal the space 27 beneath the fastener cap, as well as flowing into andsubstantially sealing the penetration hole 28 (FIG. 2) created by thepenetration of the fastener through the roofing panel 12 and into theroofing deck 11, but will cure and set to form a substantiallywater-tight seal within a short period of time. For example, the sealantmaterial can be formed of various materials, including a singlecomponent or 1K coating or sealant material such as Unisil HS siliconecoating available from GAF of Parsippany, N.J., a Unisil siliconeflashing available from GAF of Parsippany, N.J., an Elastuff®polyurethane coating materials available from GAF of Parsippany, N.J.,United PMMA flashing available from GAF of Parsippany, N.J., epoxysealants, and/or addition cure silicone sealants. Other sealantmaterials including two-component sealants or adhesives, also can beused. Once released, the sealant material generally will transform intoa more viscose format as it cures, dries or by cross-linking,coalescence or other physical/chemical process.

In an additional embodiment, multiple sealant materials can be used, forexample, being separated into and enclosed within multiple chambers ofthe encapsulate or packet. For example, the sealant material cancomprise a two-part cross-linking system with a reactant material storedin a first chamber and a catalyst material stored in a secondary chamberwithin the sealant encapsulate or packet, with both being released uponengagement and penetration through the sealant encapsulate by thefastener.

As a further alternative, the separate adhesive or sealant materialseach can be enclosed within their own sealant encapsulate or packet;e.g. a first sealant encapsulate with a first sealant material thereincan be placed adjacent or on top of a second sealant encapsulate havinga second sealant material therein. As the fastener penetrates thesealant encapsulates, the sealant materials can flow and mix together,creating a reaction which causes the mixed or combined sealant materialsto cure upon flowing into and throughout the space below the fastenercap and into any penetration holes or openings created by the fastenerto form a substantially watertight seal. By way of example, twocomponent or 2K sealant materials can be used, including 2K adhesive orsealant systems such as Elastuff® Urethane coatings, M-Thane™ two parturethane sealants or LRF polyurethane foam adhesives, available from GAFof Parsippany, N.J., United Coatings™ PMMA flashing resin available fromGAF of Parsippany, N.J., as well as various epoxy sealants, and/oraddition cure 2K silicone sealants. Other sealant or adhesive materialsalso can be used.

FIG. 2 generally illustrates the self-sealing roof fastener designfollowing engagement and driving of the fastener 16 through the roofingpanel 12 and into the roof deck 11. As the fastener is driven into andthrough the sealant encapsulate, the sealant encapsulate is pierced,releasing the sealant material which will flow into and throughout thespace 27 below the fastener cap, as well as flowing into the penetrationarea or hole 28 created by the fastener penetrating through the roofpanel 12 and into the roof deck 11. In addition, as the fastener isdriven downwardly, it will tend to force the roof cap further downwardlyand into contact with the sealant encapsulate and sealant material suchthat the sealant material further can be urged or forced under pressurefrom the fastener cap to cause the sealant material to further flowand/or be extruded throughout the space beneath the fastener cap andinto the penetration hole or area defined within the roof panel and roofdeck as illustrated in FIG. 2.

The released sealant material accordingly generally will be confinedwithin the fastener cap and contained within the space below thefastener cap and by the center plate and periphery thereof. Further, theuse and location of the sealant encapsulate enables a substantiallyconsistent placement of a desired/measured amount of sealant material tobe directed through and around the penetration hole or opening createdby the fastener to help ensure the penetration hole is sealed and toavoid excess or waste of sealant materials during application. Theamount of sealant material included can be determined according to thesize of the fastener cap (e.g., the area under the fastener cap to becovered by the sealant material) and a desired thickness of the sealantmaterial to form a watertight seal on the roof panel and about thefastener. In some applications, the volume of sealant material can rangefrom 1 mL to 50 mL, though any other suitable volume, including greateror lesser volumes, also can be used. For example, in some applications,the volume of sealant material can range from 1 mL to 40 mL, about 1 mLto 30 mL, 1 mL to 20 mL, or about 1 mL to 10 mL. In other embodiments,the volume of sealant can range from 5 mL to 50 mL, 5 mL to 45 mL, 5 mLto 35 mL, 5 mL to 25 mL, 5 mL to 15 mL, or 5 mL to 10 mL. In still otherapplications, the volume of sealant material can range from10 mL to 50mL, 10 mL to 40 mL, 10 mL to 30 mL, or 10 mL to 20 mL. In addition, thefastener cap further can be provided with openings or passages, asindicated at 29, to facilitate the passage of air through the fastenercap and into contact with the sealant material to promote the drying andmoisture curing process of the sealant material.

FIG. 3 illustrates an additional embodiment of the self-sealing rooffastener 10. In this embodiment, an agitator or stirring mechanism ordevice 31 can be provided adjacent the sealant encapsulate. The agitator31 can, in one embodiment, include two or more laterally projecting armsor paddles 32 projecting radially from a central hub 33, althoughadditional or fewer paddles also can be used. As the fastener penetratesthrough the fastener cap and into the sealant encapsulate, as indicatedin FIG. 3, the threads 16A of the fastener 16 can engage the hub 33 ofthe agitator 31 and cause it to engage the sealant encapsulate and/orsealant material. For example, the agitator 31 can be caused to spin orotherwise move by the engagement of the threads 16A of the fastener 16therewith, such that as the fastener is rotated, its threads in turnwill cause rotation of the agitator so as to likewise move and apply astirring action or pressure to help spread the sealant material withinthe cavity 27 located beneath the fastener cap. In addition, or as afurther alternative, the agitator can urge or press downwardly on thesealant encapsulate with the movement of the fastener 16 therethrough,which can help break and/or squeeze the sealant encapsulate to furtherfacilitate the spreading of the sealant material throughout the cavity27 under the fastener cap and into the penetration hole 28 (FIG. 2)created by the fastener.

In addition, as also shown in FIG. 3, spacers 36 further can beprovided. The spacers can support the sealant encapsulate on top of theroof panel 12, i.e., with the sealant encapsulate being slightly raisedabove the roof panel 12. The spacers 36 can be sized and shaped in orderto fit within the space 27 of the fastener plate 15. For example, thespacers 36 can have a radius of ¼ inch to 3 inches, ½ inch to 2½ inches,¾ inch to 2 inches, 1 inch to 1½ inches, or any other suitable radius.The height of the spacers further can be 1/16 inch to 1 inch, ¼ inch to1 inch, ½ inch to ¾ inch, or any suitable height based upon the size andshape/configuration of the space 27. The spacers can help support thesealant encapsulate during penetration by the fastener, and can helpprevent residue or other portions from the broken sealant encapsulatefrom interfering with the flowing or spreading of the sealant materialinto the penetration opening or hole created by the fastener.

In other embodiments, such as illustrated in FIG. 4, the sealantencapsulate can be provided in varying configurations, including beingconfined within a subspace 41 defined within a support structure 42 ofthe fastener cap 15. In such an embodiment, the sealant material can befurther confined so that as it is released from the sealant encapsulateby the fastener, the sealant material is directed downwardly, e.g.though a port or opening 43 in the support structure 42, toward and intothe penetration opening or hole created by the penetration of thefastener through the roof panel and roof deck, and can be substantiallycontained and restricted from spreading or flowing away from thepenetration hole or opening.

The self-sealing roof fastener of the present disclosure has beendescribed above in terms of preferred embodiments and constructions. Itwill be understood by the skilled artisan, however, that a wide range ofadditions, deletions and modifications can be made to the disclosedexample embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of thesubject matter disclosed herein. Accordingly, all such modifications areintended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A fastening system, comprising: a fastenerplate comprising a fastener cap, a fastener, and an opening, definedalong the fastener cap, and wherein the opening is configured to receivethe fastener therethrough; and a sealant material positioned within aspace defined below the fastener cap; wherein the sealant material isadapted to engage the fastener and disperse along the fastener platewhen the fastener is received through the opening defined in thefastener caps; wherein the fastener cap further comprises a centralportion, an outwardly flaring portion, and at least one passage definedbetween the central portion and the outwardly flaring portion of thefastener cap, and adapted to facilitate passage of air through thefastener cap and into contact with the sealant material to promotecuring of the sealant material.
 2. The fastening system of claim 1,further comprising an encapsulate structure configured to contain atleast a portion of the sealant material; wherein the encapsulatestructure is adapted to be pierced by the fastener when the fastener isreceived in the opening to thereby release the sealant material from theencapsulate structure into the space.
 3. The fastening system of claim2, wherein the encapsulate structure comprises a film material adaptedto contain and protect the sealant material from exposure to asurrounding environment until the encapsulate structure is pierced bythe fastener.
 4. The fastener system of claim 2, wherein the sealantmaterial comprises a fast-curing type liquid or gel adhesive or sealantthat is adapted to spread or flow when the encapsulate structure ispierced by the fastener.
 5. The fastening system of claim 1, wherein thesealant material comprises a first sealant, and further at least asecond sealant positioned within the space, and wherein the first andsecond sealants are mixed together when the fastener is received throughthe opening.
 6. The fastening system of claim 5, wherein the firstsealant is contained within a first encapsulate structure and the secondsealant is contained within a second encapsulate structure, and whereineach of the first encapsulate structure and the second encapsulatestructure is adapted to be pierced by the fastener when the fastener isreceived in the opening to thereby release and facilitate mixing of thefirst sealant and the second sealant within the space.
 7. The fastenersystem of claim 6, wherein the first sealant material comprises areactive component material, the second sealant material comprises acatalyst component material, wherein the reactive component material andthe catalyst component material are adapted to react when mixed to atleast partially cure and create a substantially water-tight seal aboutthe fastener when the fastener is received through the opening.
 8. Thefastener system of claim 1, further comprising an agitator positioned inthe space, the agitator comprising a paddle projecting radially from acentral hub, and wherein the fastener is adapted to engage the centralhub of the agitator to cause the agitator to engage and stir the sealantmaterial within the space.
 9. The fastener system of claim 1, furthercomprising at least one spacer supporting the sealant material in thespace, wherein at least a portion of the sealant material is positionedbetween the at least one spacer and the fastener cap.
 10. The fastenersystem of claim 1, wherein the fastener plate further comprises asupport structure, the support structure comprising a port adapted toreceive the fastener and at least partially defining a subspace, whereinthe sealant material is at least partially confined within the subspace.11. A roofing system comprising: a plurality of roof panels, each roofpanel configured to overlie an upper surface of a roof deck; a fastenerassembly positioned on each roof panel, each fastener assemblycomprising, a fastener plate including a fastener cap having an opening,and a fastener, wherein the opening of the fastener cap is configured toreceive the fastener therethrough to penetrate into a roof panel onwhich the fastener assembly is positioned to at least partially form apenetration hole therein; and a sealant material positioned within aspace defined between the fastener plate and the roof panel, wherein thesealant material is dispersed along the roof panel and flows at leastpartially into the penetration hole at least partially formed in theroof panel when the fastener is moved through the opening and penetratesthe roof panel; wherein the sealant material comprises an amount ofsealant material selected such that upon dispersion of the sealantmaterial along the roof panel and at least partially into thepenetration hole, the sealant material has a thickness sufficient toform a substantially watertight seal and occupies less than an entirevolume of the space defined between the fastener plate and the roofpanel.
 12. The roofing system of claim 11, further comprising anencapsulate structure positioned between the fastener cap and the roofpanel, wherein the encapsulate structure is configured to contain thesealant material; and wherein the encapsulate structure is adapted to bepierced by the fastener when the fastener is received through theopening to thereby release the sealant material from the encapsulatestructure into the space, and at least partially into the penetrationhole at least partially formed in the roof panel.
 13. The roofing systemof claim 12, wherein the encapsulate structure comprises a film or sheetmaterial adapted to contain and protect the sealant material fromexposure to a surrounding environment until the encapsulate structure ispierced by the fastener.
 14. The roofing system of claim 12, wherein thesealant material comprises a liquid or gel adhesive or sealant that isadapted to spread or flow when the encapsulate structure is pierced bythe fastener.
 15. The roofing system of claim 11, wherein the sealantmaterial comprises a first sealant, and at least a second sealantreceived within the space, and wherein the first and second sealants aremixed together when the fastener is received through the opening andpenetrates the roof panel.
 16. The roofing system of claim 15, whereinthe first sealant material comprises a reactive component material, thesecond sealant material comprises a catalyst component material, andwherein the reactive component material and the catalyst componentmaterial are adapted to react when mixed to at least partially create awater-tight seal about the fastener and the penetration hole when thefastener is received through the opening and at least partiallypenetrates the roof panel.
 17. The roofing system of claim 11, whereinthe fastener cap further comprises a central portion, an outwardlyflaring portion, and at least one passage defined between the centralportion and the outwardly flaring peripheral portion of the fastener capand configured to facilitate passage of air through the fastener cap andinto contact with the sealant material to promote curing of the sealantmaterial.
 18. The roofing system of claim 11, further comprising atleast one spacer extending on the roof panel and supporting the sealantmaterial above the roof panel in the space, with at least a portion ofthe sealant material positioned between the at least one spacer and thefastener cap.
 19. A roofing system comprising: a plurality of roofpanels, each roof panel configured to overlie an upper surface of a roofdeck; a fastener assembly positioned on each roof panel, each fastenerassembly comprising, a fastener plate including a fastener cap having anopening, and a fastener, wherein the opening of the fastener cap isconfigured to receive the fastener therethrough to penetrate into a roofpanel on which the fastener assembly is positioned to at least partiallyform a penetration hole therein; a sealant material positioned within aspace defined between the fastener plate and the roof panel, wherein thesealant material is dispersed along the roof panel and flows at leastpartially into the penetration hole at least partially formed in theroof panel when the fastener is moved through the opening and penetratesthe roof panel; and an agitator positioned in the space, the agitatorcomprising a paddle projecting radially from a central hub, and whereinthe fastener is adapted to engage the central hub of the agitator andcause the agitator to engage and stir the sealant material within thespace.